Agriculture ministry asks review of activity of Agrarian University of Moldova

Chisinau, 18 September /MOLDPRES/- Several issues related to the activity of the State Agrarian University of Moldova (UASM) were examined at a meeting of the Institutional Strategic Development Council, held at the beginning of this week. At the meeting, the management of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment (MADRM) asked, in particular, to review the university's educational offer and to optimize institutional spending.

"It is clear from the official documents available to the ministry that each teacher is responsible for training about two students, and each teacher has a room manager. In total, the university has 57 porters, 38 room carers, 44 WC carers, 21 sweepers. The salary expenses of these employees amount to about 260 thousand lei per month. Another major expense is the payment for electricity. Thus, for June this year, MADRM received payment invoices worth 365 thousand lei. In my opinion, the expenses for the maintenance of a student at the Agricultural University are aligned with those of the universities of the West. You have to get involved in optimizing the expenses for services, optimizing the management and auxiliary staff, eliminating any conflict of interests that is based on the employment on the basis of family, "Minister Georgeta Mincu said.

Also, the agenda of the meeting included topics related to public procurement procedures, emphasizing the need to use a guide for these procedures, the efficiency of teaching and scientific materials, as well as the revision of leases.

In this context, Georgeta Mincu reminded that “in 2017-2019, there were several prescriptions submitted by the Financial Inspection, but at the MADRM, there was no plan to liquidate the detected irregularities. “We have created an internal audit committee, in which we will also convene representatives of civil society. Each institution must take care and spend responsible state money ” the official said.

As a result, the minister recommended the institution to review the educational offer of the university, according to the needs of the labor market, as well as of the private sector working in the agri-food field.

The State Agricultural University of Moldova has a history of 85 years, which began on April 9, 1933 with the promulgation by King Carol II of the Law on the transformation of the Agricultural Sciences Section of the University of Iasi into the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences with the headquarters in Chisinau. In November 1991, by the government decision, the Agricultural Institute M. Frunze from Chisinau was transferred from the jurisdiction of the USSR to the jurisdiction of Moldova and reorganized into the State Agricultural University of Moldova.  Along with several profile structures in the country, UASM is subordinated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and the Environment.